Pancake turner



H. E. BRACHT PANCAKE TURNER July 26, 1932.

Fiied Map-ch 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l PANCAKE TURNER uly 26, 1932.

Filed March 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES HAROLD n. BRACHT, ornvnnnr'r, PENNSYLVANIA, nssxenon ro.. aosnr"ii 1m amen, or BEDFORID, PENNSYLVANIA L rmwruzr. runnnn This invention appertains tov improvements in pancake turners generally and has for an objectto provide types thereof wherein the blade of each may be revolved, in the supporting handle in a manner. to turn or flap a, pancake or flap-jack over from' one side to the otl1er-, during: cooking, by the movement of a thumb; or fing-er ofithe. hand of a user being employed. at the momentto manipulate the same for the purpose,

Another object ot the inventionis to .provide difi'erent forms of. means for imparting turning or revolving movements to'the blades of pan cake turners, each of which being ofa more or less simple and inexpensive construction, highly efficient inoperation and easy tomanipulate.

With the foregoing and other equally 1mportant, objects and advantages ;in view, the

Figure 4c. is alongitudinal sectionxtaken on the line 4.4 of Figure-3,

; Figure 5 isa. transverse sectionof another form of. the device. the same being taken onthe line 5-5.of- Figure 6, i a Figure 6. is a longitudinalsection' takenon the line 6-6. of Figure5, I Figure 7 is a fragmentary-plan vi w. of

still another form of the. device, 7

Figure 8 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7', Figure 9 is a transverse section taken, on the line 9 9"of Figure 8, Y p

Figure 10is a longitudinal section taken on the line 10'-1O of Figure 11 of a further 7 modification of the invention, and

Figure 11 is atransverse section taken on the line;1l--11 of Figure 10: 1

invention resides in the new and useful com- -26ahasbeeirpositioned thereon:

in? the: hand, with the thumb; resting on the periphery of the manipulatoror wheel-r :31, see that, with the blad'eg21 horizontally1'dis- Referring to the drawings,whereinv like characters of reference designate correspondingparts.- throughout the. several. correlated views thereof, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2,. the embodiment, of the inven- 131011,.33 shown therein byway of example only, is generally constitutedinwa blade 21,

- a shank: orshaft. 22 and a handle 23;, wherein theblade' '21i's secured atone end ofthe shaft 22 at the center ofsits. rear edge;- and the "op-v; posite end of the I shaft '22 is secured. .forre volving movement in a bore; extending: longitudinally through the handle 23., 1. a i

As. shown; in Figures2, the. rear end-oi the handle 23 provided-with a countersink-24 centered. therein with-respect to the longitudinalbore aforesaid ant withzwhichit com mnnicates. iIrorder-to house a collar or weather .25 mounted on a reduced? portion 26-formed atsthe-rear' endi ofi thef.shafti:22 the; collar-J orwasher 25'! being secured". in; place: on the shaft portion 52b inia'ny "suitableg'nianner; as,

: rm: instance, .peeningthe freerendiofthe shaft portion 2.6,.as at 27,:1atter. the collar or washer Theforward end ofatheuhandle 23 isep'rotected by: a' metal ferrule 29 :whizlrhet'sxits outer end: flanged, as; at- 30,?to form abearing surface. for; a thumb. piece or wheel 31. mounted on: the vshaiitQQrto facilitate the I imparting of? revolving imovement tcrthe latter. whentproperly manipulated.

In the useof .thedevice', as thus constructed and arranged, the handle 23"willlbe grasped posed, a flap-jack or pancake may firstbe lifted'from agriddle onto thelatterina usual manner'andthereafterturned over or. flipped" to'it's reversed sideand' allowed'to drop back onto the griddle 'by moving. the thumb toimpart ahalf revolutionstmth'e shaft 22andthe bladewQl; When used by arightihanded per I son, a theinaturahmovement ofithe thumb -to" revolve tli'e shaft22,as aiconsequenceywill be' to'thele'ft a i The thumbpiece or wheel'Sl is positioned 0111 the shaft 22f atl'a pointi thereon -to allow but very slight: end thrust to' the lattenin' order to permit of the comparative free revolving movement of the same in the bore of the handle without any tendency of the parts to bind; also the periphery of the thumb-piece or wheel 31 is preferably roughened or milled to prevent slippage of the thumb thereon.

In the formof the invention, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a stop device is provided to limit the revolving movement of the shaft 122 to approxi'matelya half turn, and the same is constituted in a pin 132 which proj ects from the forward end of the handle 123 and engages in a substantiallysemi-circular slot 133 formed in the thumb-piece or wheell3l.

The pin 132 has its inner end embedded in the material of theforward end of thehandle 123 and its outer end projected outwardly through an opening formed in the inturned flange 130 of the ferrule 129. Otherwise this type of the device is identical in'construction and operation to that form depicted in Figures 1 and 2. V I

In Figures 5 and6, the stop pin232 is carried at the inner side of the-thumb-piece or wheel 231 forcooperative engagement in a substantially semi cireular slot 233 formed in the inturned flange portion230 of: the metal ferrule 229 mounted onthe adjacent end of the-.handle223; Here,the slot 233 is preferably formed in the inner edge of the flange 23 0 encircling the shaft222; In order to-give proper clearance to the pin 232,in its movements in the slot 233, a space 234 is preferablyprovided for between the forward endof the handle 223 and the inturned flange 230 at v the outerend of thezferrule 229.1 I

Referring n'ow to Figures 7ito' 9 inclusive, the invention" as shown .thGIBIH' -COIISIStS of the shaft 322 mounted as before in? the handle323 and having the thumb-piece or wheel 331 for manipulation to impart a partial revolving motion to the'shaft' and a blade carried thereby, but,.in this instance, the stop pin 532 is extended radially from the shaft. 322 for cooperative engagement in the slot 333 formed in the flange 330 of the ferrule 329.

This form of the device is, however, fur- Y ther modified by the mounting of a coiled spring 235 in thespace 334, provided between the ferrule flange 329 and the adjacent end of the handle 323; one end of the spring being anchored in the handle end and its other end attached to the'thumb-piece orwheel 331.,

This spring 335 is so arranged that it will oppose'the operative turning movement of the shaft 322'by the thumb-piece or wheel 331,

and, as a consequence, will be'pla'ced under tenslon during such movement in-order that itwill automatically reverse the revolving- .movement of the shaft322 and a blade carried thereby, upon the removal of the thumb of the user from the thumb-piece or wheel 331-, in order to return the shaft and'blade to initial operative position without necessitating-any shifting of the hand of theuser relatively to the handle, as would ordinarily be required to properly position the blade flatwise as is required to lift and turn a flapjack 0r pancake.

In Figures 10 and 11, the arrangement of the. shaft 422, the handle 423, the ferrule 429, the thumb-piece 431, the stop pin 432 and the slot 433, is substantially the same as in Figures 7 to 9, but the spring is here dispensed with, leaving the space 434 entirely clear.

- "Without further description, it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of invention or its scope as claimed. I claim: 7

the

V 1. A pancake turner comprising ahandle,

a shaft having a blade at oneend and its other end mounted for revolving movement in said handle, and a circular thumb piece mounted on said shaft for imparting motion thereto when actuated. 5 I

2. pancake turner comprisinga handle, a shaft having: a blade-at one end and its other end mounted for revolving movement in said handle, a circular thumb piece mounted on said shaft for imparting motion thereto when actuated, and stop means for limiting the angular motion of said shaft.

' 3.- A pancake turner comprising ahandle,

a shaft having a blade at one end and its other end 'mountedfo r revolving movement i-n'said handle, a'circular thumbpiece mounted on said shaft for imparting motion thereto when actuated; and stop means cooperative with the handle and said'shaft for limiting I the angular motion-of the latter. p

4. A pancake turner: comprising aihandle,

. said handle, and cooperative means carried by said handle and the thumb piece for limiting the angular movements of said shaft.

"6. A pancake turner comprising a handle, a shaft having a blade at one end and its other end mounted for revolving movement in saidhandle, a circular thumb piece secured to said shaft adjacent the forward end of said handlefor impartingan operative motion to the shaft, and apin carried by said handle and engaged in aslot formedinjsaid ashaft having ablade atone end and its other end mounted "for revolving movement thumb piece for limiting the angular movements of said shaft. v

7. A pancake turner comprising a handle, a shaft having a blade at one end and its other end mounted for revolving movement in said handle, a circular thumb piece secured to said shaft adjacent the forward end of said handle for imparting an operative motion to the shaft, a ferrule carried by said handle and having a slot therein, and a pin carried by said thumb piece and engaged in the said slot for limiting the angular movements of said shaft.

8. A pancake turner comprising a handle, a shaft having a blade at one end and its other end mounted for revolving movement in said handle, a circular thumb piece carried by said shaft for imparting limited angular motion thereto, and means for automatically returning said shaft to initial position.

9. A pancake turner comprising a handle, a shaft having a blade at one end and its other end mounted for revolving movement in said handle, a circular thumb piece carried by said shaft for imparting limited angular motion thereto, a ferrule carried by said handle and having a slot therein, a pin carried by said shaft and engaged in the said slot for limiting the angular movements, and means for automatically returning said shaft to initial position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HAROLD E. BRACHT. 

